As camp nears,Nelson ready to go

Warriors' coach touting Belinelli

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, September 27, 2007

Warriors coach Don Nelson hasn't finished picking over his roster yet. He isn't sure how good his team will be without Jason Richardson, or how close it will come to duplicating last season's playoff run.

The 67-year-old coach is certain of this:

"I'm ready to kick some butt," he said.

Training camp opens Tuesday in Hawaii, and Nelson, back after a prickly contract renegotiation, unofficially began his second season by hyping his newcomers and challenging his incumbents to step up their games.

Rather than anoint Monta Ellis as Richardson's replacement, Nelson essentially penciled in first-round pick Marco Belinelli as his starting shooting guard. Belinelli, a rookie in name only after five pro seasons in Europe, dazzled crowds with his quick release and extended shooting range during the summer league.

"The guy's got stardom written all over him," Nelson said. "Not only can he score and do the offensive things necessary in this league, but also he can also make plays.

"What separates the really great players from the not-so-great players are guys (who) can make plays along with their ability to score. He can do that. Baron (Davis) can do that."

Photo: KURT ROGERS

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Warriors head coach Don Nelson signals to his players in the half of play
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center Playoff game #1.
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2007 KURT ROGERS DALLAS THE CHRONICLE
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Jason Richardson battles Josh Howard for a rebound during the Warriors' win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the series.
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Stephen Jackson gets a hug from Jason Richardson as the Warriors leave the court after shocking the Mavericks in Game 1 in Dallas.
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Stephen Jackson gets a hug from Jason Richardson as the Warriors leave the court after shocking the Mavericks in Game 1 in Dallas. MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG AND SF CHRONICLE / NO SALES-MAGS OUT less

Warriors head coach Don Nelson signals to his players in the half of play
Dallas Mavericks vs Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center Playoff game #1.
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2007 KURT ROGERS DALLAS ... more

Photo: KURT ROGERS

As camp nears,Nelson ready to go

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The question is if Ellis can do that. With Belinelli positioned at the top of the shooting-guard ranks and Stephen Jackson the likely starter at small forward once his seven-game suspension ends, Nelson reiterated the need for Ellis to continue developing his ballhandling skills.

Ellis' first season as a point-guard-in-training won him the league's Most Improved Player Award, but he struggled during his first playoff experience.

Nelson wants to go big at the off-guard position - and he has plenty of choices with Jackson (6-foot-8), Belinelli (6-5) and Kelenna Azubuike (6-5). The pressure will be on Ellis, who is entering a contract year, to find his niche as a playmaker.

Belinelli dominated Nelson's hype-o-meter, and the Warriors' second-round draft pick, Stephane Lasme, wasn't far behind. At 6-8, he is undersized as a power forward, but Nelson has been impressed with Lasme's rebounding and shot blocking ability, adding that Lasme could be the "fastest guy on the team."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the least talked-about rookies was Brandan Wright, whom the Warriors acquired in the Richardson trade. Wright missed all of the summer league to rest a hip injury, and Nelson has been unable to get a good reading on the 6-10 forward from North Carolina.

"With his stature - he's only about 200 pounds, 20 years old - I don't know how ready he is, but he's got all the skill in the world," Nelson said. "It'll be an interesting thing for me, and probably everybody, to watch his growth this year and see if he can actually play some."

The Warriors are not expected to rush Wright, with their newfound depth at power forward. Nelson touted the free-agent signing of Austin Croshere, who averaged a rebound every four minutes off the bench for Dallas last season, but the coach also admitted that rebounding remains Golden State's biggest weakness.

The Warriors had the worst rebounding differential of any team last season, and out of their projected starting lineup of Davis, Belinelli, Jackson, Al Harrington and Andris Biedrins, only Davis and Biedrins are considered strong rebounders at their positions.

Briefly: Nelson said his arbitration suit against Mavericks owner Mark Cuban isn't likely to be heard until February because of scheduling conflicts. Meanwhile, Nelson is enjoying watching Cuban compete in the reality television show, "Dancing with the Stars." Joked Nelson: "At least I admit I can't dance."